Skin Conductance in Ventilated Preterms

Pain Assessment Using Skin Conductance Measurement During Different Types of Invasive Ventilation in Newborn Infants

The goal of this observational study is to learn more about the pain and stress experienced by newborn infants receiving mechanical ventilation (breathing through a machine).

The main questions it aims to answer are:

• Do different ventilator settings (modi) cause different degrees of pain and stress?
• Can skin conductance measurement be used to evaluate the pain and stress caused by mechanical ventilation in newborns?
• Can skin-to-skin care alleviate the stress caused by mechanical ventilation?

Participants will be monitored according to clinical protocol with the addition of electrodes placed on the infant's foot, measuring changes in skin conductance.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Need for mechanical ventilation

Exclusion Criteria:

• Other distracting painful conditions
• Facial malformation or neuromuscular disease, not allowing regular visual pain assessment